Dalyn wants to do all she can to help others rebuild their lives
Poverty remains a major problem in CambodiaFriday, 16 March 2007
My life as a child prostitute
BBC News
Dalyn, 17, was once among the thousands of young children working as prostitutes in Cambodia. Now living in a shelter, this is her disturbing account of being a child sex slave.
"I was living with my grandfather in Cambodia. As a normal, happy child I did not fear anything.
Then, at 12 years old, a woman asked me whether I would like to work at a garment factory.
I agreed and went with her. But she sold me to the owner of a brothel in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.
I felt betrayed and cheated. I thought I was going to find work. I never thought I was going to be sold like that.
My heart sank and I started asking myself where the hell had I ended up.
Intimidation
I saw many couples coming in and out of the rooms. From that moment on, I knew something was seriously wrong. I was frightened and desperately wanted to ask the children what kind of place this was.
A group of men came into my room and told me to receive a client. I asked what I was supposed to do.
They told me: "Don't worry, you'll know what to do. And if you don't, you'll do it until you do."
I refused but they told me to shut up and said that "one way or the other" I was going to have to do as they say.
They dragged me out of the room and I screamed and called out for help.
They put a gun to my head. I pleaded for my life, telling them this wasn't the work I had been led to believe I would be doing.
But the brothel owner said: "You didn't follow anyone here. You're here of your own free will. You are a prostitute and you came here looking to work as a prostitute."
I said: "I'm young and I have my future ahead of me. Please don't make me do something like this."
Starved
But then he said I would be shot if I refused. He ordered in a group of men carrying electric cables.
I cried and screamed out for help but nobody came.
They starved me until I agreed to go with clients.
I was locked in a cage with others underneath the brothel for entire days. I was only ever allowed out when a client came.
Some clients were considerate and quite kind. Others were not.
If I refused to perform particular sex acts, clients would beat me up and report me to the brothel owner.
The brothel owner would also beat me and tell the other girls in the brothel to beat me too.
The psychological impact was horrendous. It lives with me even to this day.
When it finally dawned on me that I was a prostitute, I felt a sense of utter disgust. I had become the very thing I most despised.
It is slavery of the worst kind. They have total power over you - they get you to do anything they want.
You feel like dirt and there is nothing you can do except follow orders. You could end up dead.
Rescue
I was scared right up until the brothel owner was arrested. Then I realised that we were being rescued.
We were rescued by the police and the AFESIP, an organisation whose founder, Somaly Mam, is a former child sex slave and famous figure in Cambodia.
I was so relieved and happy.
I do not know what the future will bring.
I feel it is my obligation to tell everyone that they should do everything they can to prevent themselves and others going through prostitution and all the things I had to go through.
By the end of it, you will end up lower then you can ever imagine... in hell.
This World: Slave Children will be broadcast on Monday, 26 March, 2007 at 2100 BST on BBC Two.
"I was living with my grandfather in Cambodia. As a normal, happy child I did not fear anything.
Then, at 12 years old, a woman asked me whether I would like to work at a garment factory.
I agreed and went with her. But she sold me to the owner of a brothel in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.
I felt betrayed and cheated. I thought I was going to find work. I never thought I was going to be sold like that.
"It is slavery of the worst kind. They have total power over you; they get you to do anything they want"There were lots of other boys and girls at the brothel. I overheard two pimps bargaining and heard one of them say my price was $150 (£78).
My heart sank and I started asking myself where the hell had I ended up.
Intimidation
I saw many couples coming in and out of the rooms. From that moment on, I knew something was seriously wrong. I was frightened and desperately wanted to ask the children what kind of place this was.
A group of men came into my room and told me to receive a client. I asked what I was supposed to do.
They told me: "Don't worry, you'll know what to do. And if you don't, you'll do it until you do."
I refused but they told me to shut up and said that "one way or the other" I was going to have to do as they say.
They dragged me out of the room and I screamed and called out for help.
They put a gun to my head. I pleaded for my life, telling them this wasn't the work I had been led to believe I would be doing.
But the brothel owner said: "You didn't follow anyone here. You're here of your own free will. You are a prostitute and you came here looking to work as a prostitute."
I said: "I'm young and I have my future ahead of me. Please don't make me do something like this."
Starved
But then he said I would be shot if I refused. He ordered in a group of men carrying electric cables.
I cried and screamed out for help but nobody came.
They starved me until I agreed to go with clients.
I was locked in a cage with others underneath the brothel for entire days. I was only ever allowed out when a client came.
Some clients were considerate and quite kind. Others were not.
If I refused to perform particular sex acts, clients would beat me up and report me to the brothel owner.
The brothel owner would also beat me and tell the other girls in the brothel to beat me too.
The psychological impact was horrendous. It lives with me even to this day.
When it finally dawned on me that I was a prostitute, I felt a sense of utter disgust. I had become the very thing I most despised.
It is slavery of the worst kind. They have total power over you - they get you to do anything they want.
You feel like dirt and there is nothing you can do except follow orders. You could end up dead.
Rescue
I was scared right up until the brothel owner was arrested. Then I realised that we were being rescued.
We were rescued by the police and the AFESIP, an organisation whose founder, Somaly Mam, is a former child sex slave and famous figure in Cambodia.
I was so relieved and happy.
I do not know what the future will bring.
I feel it is my obligation to tell everyone that they should do everything they can to prevent themselves and others going through prostitution and all the things I had to go through.
By the end of it, you will end up lower then you can ever imagine... in hell.
This World: Slave Children will be broadcast on Monday, 26 March, 2007 at 2100 BST on BBC Two.
4 comments:
This is where the bottom line is as far as politic concerned.Over 25 years in same position like Hun Sen,this proves how poor his performamnce has been.Let's say if it was for non educated farmer in 25 years, he could have planted some fruit trees and eat plenty fruits now.Nonetheless,the longer Hun Sen is in power the more kids will end up like this one too.One is too many for a brilliant Prime Minister.Shame on on him.
Vote for someone other than Hun Sen clique,please.
As long as Hun Khvang Shit still in power until he is 90s, all Cambodians will be getting poorer and poorer, so wake up all Khmers people, it's time to change the leader.
Any body ! any group, organazation in some kind of power and litle human heart!
Look at us, we are Cambodian inside Cambodia, are we living in some kind of slavery for the whole country?
We have to take what Hun Xen give, give away what he want, we can not ask or talk against or about bad things going on us or around us.
Hun Xen take our land, put our daugters to prostitution, put our sons in drug!stave us if he want give us salary if he feel like it.staving us if he want too!
kill some, maim some, jail some just to keep us, Cambodian in his line, to beg from the wold of no heart but business interest!
HEP US FREE! PLEASE DO NOT SACRIFY US FOR YOUR BUSINESS INTEREST!
HAVE HEART HEPL US NOW, NOW, NOW!
HELL TO THE PASS, WE NEED OUR LIFE OUR FREEDOME, OUR CHILDREN FUTURE NOW!
HAVE HEART AMBASADORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
honestly,.. this is cambodian man raising the next generation?
ive seen a lot, been to karaoke parlors but i tell you now the big part of the costumers are your local cambodian man not foreigners.
i dont deny they is a number of foreign clients but dont say that we are sacrifizing you for our business interest in this way.
Specially because cambodian offers this service to foreign business people to get them to do what they want. they sell their own children and next generation shame on all of them who support that!
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